Elon Musk has branded Sir Keir Starmer a “hypocrite” over his strategy to policing – whereas additionally goading the prime minister over a Labour MP’s historic tweets.
Musk has been sparring with Sir Keir since final week after the prime minister blamed social media corporations for permitting the unfold of false claims that the Southport stabbings suspect was an asylum seeker – which prompted riots throughout the UK.
The billionaire tycoon, who has proclaimed free speech as a key objective of his takeover of Twitter, which he renamed X, has additionally expressed his disbelief that individuals who incite violence on-line are being prosecuted within the UK.
On Friday, Musk referred to as Sir Keir a “hypocrite”. He did this in response to the prime minister criticising Musk for alleging police in Birmingham had used “two-tier policing” – a phrase getting used to explain the impression that some protests and demonstrations are handled extra harshly than others.
Musk highlighted that Sir Keir criticised the policing of the Sarah Everard vigil protests. The Metropolitan Police later paid compensation following arrests on the protests.
The X proprietor mentioned: “Out of curiosity, is that this the identical #TwoTeirKeir who himself criticized policing protests in 2021?
“What a hypocrite!”
Musk additionally mentioned Sir Keir was “terrified of having to perform equal enforcement of the law for all in his own city” – and referred to as for somebody to inform the prime minister that Musk thought he was “craven”.
Beforehand, Musk had highlighted one other story which was essential of the Labour Get together.
Newly elected Labour MP Lauren Edwards apologised on Thursday after a sequence of offensive tweets from greater than a decade in the past resurfaced.
She mentioned she had made a “significant error of judgement” which she “deeply regrets”, however didn’t instantly cite the posts she meant.
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Unverified screenshots of the since-deleted tweets have been circulating on-line.
On Friday, Musk reposted a screenshot from one other X consumer of one of many deleted tweets, together with Ms Edwards’s apology.
It reads: “I want these f***ing Estonian r*****s out of my flat now!”
He didn’t make a touch upon the screenshots. With 193.4 million followers, the submit was rapidly seen by tens of millions, and reposted and commented on by 1000’s.
Musk’s submit has prompted criticism of Ms Edwards from around the globe, with many saying she ought to be suspended and others saying she ought to be arrested.
One consumer mentioned: “Top trolling.”
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Ms Edwards appeared to have deleted her X account on Friday, after posting her apology the day earlier than.
Between 2008 and 2013, Australian-born Ms Edwards labored as a parliamentary researcher for Labour MPs together with Barbara Keeley, Teresa Pearce, and Lisa Nandy.
On Thursday, Ms Edwards mentioned: “I’ve just lately been made conscious of a small variety of tweets that I posted on Twitter from over a decade in the past, which I now deeply remorse.
“They have been a big error of judgement on my half, and I apologise wholeheartedly.
“Since changing into a neighborhood councillor and extra just lately an MP, I’ve seen first-hand the significance of bringing communities collectively and dealing with tolerance and respect for all in our society.
“I pledge to use my platform to continue that important work and dedicate myself to serving all residents of Rochester and Strood.”
Sir Keir Starmer visited the Met Police’s Lambeth command and management centre on Friday. Pic: PA
Ms Edwards was elected as an MP on the basic election in July with 15,403 votes.
She unseated Tory MP Kelly Tolhurst, who had represented the Kent constituency since 2015.
